Policy on the Implementation of Revised LCRI 22.17, Notice of OCLC RSS Feed for Local Bibliographic File Maintenance

Revised LCRI 22.17, containing a new option for catalogers to add death dates to personal name headings with open dates has been published. Institutions may
begin to apply the option (or not) in the manner that best utilizes their cataloging resources. The following information on how the Library of Congress
will implement the policy change is provided below:

In order to begin application of this policy in a manner that minimizes the impact on LC's catalog (and the ripple effect on catalogs worldwide) and
maximizes the efficient use of cataloging resources, LC's policy on addition of death dates will be the following:

LC catalogers are asked to apply the option to add death dates to existing personal name authority
records with open dates only when a personal name heading is being used on bibliographic records currently being cataloged and/or in the course of routine
authority file maintenance (e.g., resolving conflicts between different persons).

Once the impact of this change is fully understood, a more liberal policy for adding death dates may be announced in the future.

Catalogers are reminded that dates (either birth or death dates) should not be added to personal name headings on existing authority records that currently
do not have any dates, except in cases of conflict, according to current policy.

If a name authority record is being established for the first time, birth and death dates may be added to the heading, even if a personal name heading
without dates for the same person exists on bibliographic records in LC's catalog.

Do not add the former heading as a 400 reference coded with subfield $w nne when the only difference is the addition of the death date.

Bibliographic File Maintenance for NACO Libraries

As long as the only change to the heading is the addition of a death date, NACO libraries are not required to report these changes to LC. In response to a
request from LC, OCLC has agreed to provide an RSS feed that will serve as an alert service for authority records to which death dates have been added. LC
and the PCC are grateful to OCLC for providing this service that will greatly assist libraries in the maintenance of their catalogs.

Note that if the heading warrants other changes (besides the addition of a death date), and is thus no longer a one-for-one change, then BFM should be
reported to the coop liaison as usual (cf. BFM FAQ at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/bfmguide.html). This BFM FAQ and other relevant FAQs will be
updated to include information in regard to the addition of death dates.

Catalogers are reminded that when making a change to a date in a 1XX all references must reflect the change and all related NARs must also be changed,
e.g., name/title NARs, and BFM reported if appropriate.